UH Manoa College of Education graduate selected as Outstanding Early Childhood Practitioner

HONOLULU - Dr. Jonathan Gillentine, who earned both his MEd in Special Education and PhD in Curriculum Studies from the College of Education at UH Mānoa, was presented with the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators‘ Outstanding Early Childhood Practitioner Award in November. The award is designed to recognize meritorious leadership and professionalism in preservice and inservice early childhood teacher education through demonstrated excellence in teaching practice and support of teacher education.

"I told my team members that this is a tribute to them, not just me. Our work with teacher candidates is what led to the nomination," Gillentine said. "This experience has reminded me how fortunate I am to know so many folks who care about children and learning." Since 1983, he has mentored 30 teachers who were newly placed in special education positions.

"Jonathan is an exceptional early childhood educator who combines a high level of skill as a preschool teacher with interest in and commitment to helping others learn to teach," said Stephanie Feeney, College of Education professor and former advisor to Gillentine (pictured together).

Gillentine has been a special education teacher for the last 26 years. Since 1994, he has taught in the preschool inclusion classroom at Rev. Benjamin Parker School. He is a product of Hawaiʻi‘s public school system, having attended Pearl City Highlands Elementary and Highlands Intermediate Schools and graduated from Waipahu High School.

His dissertation research was published in the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education earlier this year. He also created and facilitated two courses for the DOE‘s Professional Development & Educational Research Institute. Since 2004, Gillentine has served on the Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) and was appointed to the Board of Examiners of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education in 2006.

Sharon Mahoe, Executive Director of the HTSB, said, "I am thrilled for Jonathan because he deserves this recognition for his teaching skills and knowledge and for his continual contributions to the profession. We are proud and lucky to have him as a fellow teacher."